Euro

The following car needs no introduction. What began life as your average montego blue E92 has undergone some not-so-subtle modifications, which has rocketed it into magazines and car blogs around the world. Yes, this is Bag Riders’ famous 335i X-Drive, a car that took niche sections of the Internet and social media by storm. Take notes, kids, our Vermont neighbors know a thing or two about air-ride and car customization, and this BMW certainly does not disappoint.

This was my third year covering Wekfest’s East Coast event held in Edison, New Jersey. Heading out a little after sunrise to my first car show since coming back from studying abroad in Italy for a month was such an amazing feeling. Passing other enthusiasts on the highway knowing they were going to same show was well welcomed. On top of all that, being able to see all my friends that I hadn’t seen since way before I left or SOWO was the cherry on top. Wekfest always hosts only high caliber cars and this year was no different. There did, however, seem to be less cars than last year and a little too much open space at some points. Team Emotion, as usual, took home most of the awards at the show, well deserved at that too. After the show wrapped up I left with my friend, Harold, who you might know as Dat3voX, to do a photoshoot of his new setup. So look out for that soon. I definitely plan on attending next year’s event as well so I can say, one day, I’ve been to every one.

Supremacy saturated the New Jersey Expo Center at this year’s Wekfest New Jersey. What could be expected was indeed delivered—a huge room full of exquisite taste. Wekfest never fails to feature the East Coast’s highest caliber builds in order to provide to all perceptions of style. Last year’s show set the bar pretty high for the upcoming years, but the elites of the east were up for the challenge and executed beautifully.

Way 2 Clean is a new name that made their mark this year at the West Palm Beach Expo Center. The event was organized by its founder, Sam Blackett, with some big name vendors like Vossen and Liberty Walk, and a performance by Florida’s own American rapper, Ace Hood. After advertisements were spread out, many scurried to register for this event. I’m sure many of you reading this are in the Northern states or anywhere else really with less humidity than we have here in Florida. So if there’s an event indoors, we’re all for it! I am definitely excited for the next event hosted by Way 2 Clean.

SpringFling 2014 was another massive success! With over 400 cars in attendance at the Hansa Haus in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, SpringFling — now in its 11th year — has grown to become the VAG and German car scene’s official season opener in Canada. This charity-driven event is best known for its relaxed vibe and has become so well known that attendees now drive in from out of Province and the U.S. to spend the day with fellow enthusiasts! For more info check out the site at www.springflingcanada.com or follow on Twitter and Instagram @SpringFlingCND.

Nowadays it seems as though cars are becoming more and more disposable. We see cars get built for an extended period of time, revealed at a big car show or feature, and then quickly disassembled or sold. On the flipside, there are cars that owners become attached to, and for lack of a better term, have a longer relationship that lasts; sometimes the better half of a decade, or in some cases even longer. Katie has maintained ownership of her ’99 Volkswagen Jetta for over seven years now, and she has no intention to part ways any time soon.

Back in June I was invited to hangout in Baltimore for the weekend to shoot Jose Chong and several of his friend’s cars. The weekend began with washing the cars in the Baltimore suburbs, followed by a trip to West Virginia for a photo shoot with More Than More photographer Anna Taylor. Anna has had her eye on this industrial factory spot for a while and it ended up being the perfect location.

Many of you may have seen Jose’s wagon before. In the last two years it has undergone countless changes, most currently the red wrap and prima donna RS’s. Jose’s other build, his MKI cabrio, boasts flawless original paint and drives as smooth as ever (I would know, most of the rollers are from the Cabby). Several of Jose’s local friends joined in, including Matt Wiese with his beautiful Passat and Erik Holloway with his MKIV R32 on those awesome Hartmann Twists. Perfect weather and gorgeous scenery was the cherry on top. Thanks for an awesome weekend guys! Hope you enjoy the video.

I was stopped dead in my tracks. As I admired the amount of detailed work that someone had put into this stunning Volkswagen Corrado a familiar face approached me with a grin, widening ear to ear. “Last year at SoWo, I joked that you never go full retard in terms of building a car. Well this year I went full retard.” I smiled at the remark as I greeted Andy Faulkner.Read More

In it’s third year, Euro Hangar 2014 held proudly in the town of Holland, Michigan drew quite the crowd. Many familiar cars and vendors showed up including DubKorps and Orchid Euro, both whom had fantastic cars representing their respective companies. Taking place at the Park Township Airport, Euro Hangar’s organizers provided show-goers with food trucks, awesome vendors and a DJ to provide the show with music. The town of Holland is also a great spot to explore before and after the show, providing tons of great restaurants and craft breweries to keep everyone occupied. If you’ve never been to this show, it is definitely one that will keep continue to grow. Make sure to mark this one on the calendar next year, you won’t want to miss it!

Last year when I received the invite from Gab Laroche to come up to Canada for Eurokracy I knew I had to take it. Gab Laroche is the owner of Gab Eurosport in L’Assomption, just outside of Montreal. For those of you who don’t know Gab… he’s crazy. He has a habit of buying bare shells in the fall and turning them into show stoppers by the time spring arrives just a few months later.

This year was no different, showcasing his stunning new Harlequin complete with a shaved bay 24v swap. On Friday night before Eurokracy we arrived at Gab’s shop and hung out while they prepared the cars for the following day. The other shops in his complex include several professional fabricators, a woodworker, painter, and even a shop where Formula Drift cars are built. I now understand how they can turn around quality projects so quickly. They even gave us a ride in their little side project — an e46 with an LS3 swap — which you’ll see on the following pages.

Show day brought out some amazing builds, many that you aren’t likely to see unless you make the trip to Canada. The day’s events included sanctioned burnouts on the track, and a low limbo obstacle course complete with speed bumps to maneuver. Between the charismatic burnout participants and the cars in the top 100 without so much as a speck of dust the enthusiasm at Eurokracy is really something to enjoy.